State troopers have charged a tractor trailer driver whose unsecured crates on his truck caused two other vehicles to crash.

The wreck happened around 6:10 a.m. in Lewiston-Woodville at the intersection of Highways 11 and 308.

Trooper Angel Genao says a Perdue Farms tractor trailer was making a left onto Highway 11 when the two metal crates fell off. Another passing tractor trailer ran over the first crate, causing that big rig to hit a ditch, two fences and strike a tree.

The driver, Jerry East of Youngsville was flown to Vidant Medical Center after being trapped in the cab for 2-1/2 hours.

East's 18-wheeler also clipped the second crate, causing it to go airborne, striking a vehicle behind the Perdue truck. That driver was taken to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries.

Trooper Genao charged the Perdue driver, Clifford McGee of Conway, with failure to secure his load.

Previous Story

Troopers say it took emergency crews several hours to get a truck driver out of his cab this morning.

Trooper Genao says around 6:15 a.m. Thursday, two crates fell off a Purdue tractor trailer, into the road on NC 11 at Church St. in Lewiston. As the crates fell, one dropped onto a car. That driver was sent to a local hospital.

Another tractor trailer, traveling north on NC 11, ran into one of the crates in the road and then hit a tree. The crash pinned him in his truck.

The driver of the Perdue tractor trailer who lost the two crates was not injured. Troopers say the crash is still under investigation.

Online Public Information File

Viewers with disabilities can get assistance accessing this station's FCC Public Inspection File by contacting the station with the information listed below. Questions or concerns relating to the accessibility of the FCC's online public file system should be directed to the FCC at 888-225-5322, 888-835-5322 (TTY), or fccinfo@fcc.gov.